A moderate earthquake shakes Japan, injuring more than 30 people in the Tokyo region

TOKYO (AP) – A moderate earthquake rattled eastern Japan, including the Tokyo area, early Sunday, injuring more than 30 individuals, most of them lightly, office-holders noted.

What happened

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 and its epicenter was in the southern Ibaraki prefecture with a depth of 70 kilometers (42 miles). The U.S. Geological Survey recorded a magnitude of 5.8.

At least 37 individuals were injured in five prefectures in the region – 15 in Tokyo, nine in Saitama, eight in Kanagawa, four in Chiba and one in Ibaraki – according to prefectural office-holders and the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

Most of the injured were hurt when they fell down or hit themselves against furniture or doors as they were caught off guard by the quake while sleeping and obtained out of bed in a panic, office-holders noted. Among them was a woman in her 80s who fell off the bed and suffered a serious hip injury in Yokohama, in the Kanagawa prefecture, the Yomiuri newspaper documented.

The bottom line

In short, a moderate earthquake shakes Japan, injuring more than 30 people in the is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.